Article: HC's Rock Rewind: August 14 - 27

A trove of memorable events occurred during this week in rock history. The Beatles kicked off their first America tour, the final episode of “The Monkees” aired, and one of rock and roll’s pioneering legends passed away. Read on for a look back at other significant moments that shaped rock and roll during this historically eventful week.

Events

1962 – Drummer Pete Best is fired from The Beatles by manager Brian Epstein. Best has been a member of the band for two years and four days. He is replaced by Rory Storm and the Hurricanes’ drummer Ringo Starr.

1964 – The Beatles begin their first American tour, performing a 33-minute show at the Cow Palace in San Francisco.

1965 -- Sonny & Cher enjoy the first of a three-week run atop the U.S. singles chart with their single, “I Got You Babe.”

1968 – A trio called Earth, who play blues and rock, makes their performance debut in a coffee house in a small town in New Jersey. The guitarist and singer is an 18-year-old named Bruce Springsteen.

1968 – The final episode of the TV show ‘The Monkees” airs on NBC. The series had won two Emmy Awards the previous year: one for Outstanding Comedy Series, and the other for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy.

1969 – The Woodstock Music and Art Festival is staged at a 600-acre farm in Bethel, New York. More than 500,000 people attend the three-day festival.

1969 – The Beatles gather for the last time at EMI Studios in London. They wrap up the mixes for “I Want You,” and discuss the song sequence for the Abbey Road album.

1971 – Rod Stewart’s “Maggie May” is released.

1971 -- Led Zeppelin kick off a North American tour, performing in front of 17,000 fans in Vancouver, Canada.

1972 – “The Midnight Special,” hosted by Wolfman Jack, makes its debut on NBC. The show features War performing their current million-seller, “Slippin’ into Darkness.”

1972 – Chicago’s Chicago V album tops the U.S. album chart.

1975 – Peter Gabriel announces he is leaving the prog-rock band, Genesis. Over the next year and a half, the group auditions more than 400 singers before deciding that Phil Collins, their drummer since 1970, will step into the frontman spot left by Gabriel.

1977 – Elvis Presley is found dead at his Graceland Mansion in Memphis, Tennessee. The rock and roll icon was just 42 years old. At the time of his death, Presley’s estate was valued at $4.9 million. By 1993, its value is more than $50 million.

1979 – Led Zeppelin releases their final studio album, In Through the Out Door.

1980 – John Lennon begins recording the Double Fantasy album. The record will later be awarded a Grammy for “Album of the Year.”

1987 -- Guns N' Roses kick off their first North American tour, performing in Halifax, Nova Scotia, as opening act for The Cult.

1991 – Nirvana performs a concert at The Roxy in Los Angeles, where they invite fans to attend the shoot for the video for “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” When filming begins two days later, the response is so massive that hundreds of fans have to be turned away.

1995 -- Foo Fighters make their U.S. network television debut, performing “This is a Call” on “The Late Show with David Letterman.”

1997 – The Rolling Stones announce plans for their “Bridges to Babylon” tour by driving up to the Brooklyn Bridge in New York in a red ’55 Cadillac, with Mick Jagger at the wheel.

2005 – Sly Stone makes a rare public appearance, when he shows up the Knitting Factory in Hollywood to watch his little sister, Vet, perform with a Sly and the Family Stone tribute band.

Releases

1966 – Jefferson Airplane: Jefferson Airplane Takes Off

1970 -- The Band: Stage Fright

1971 – Mahavishnu Orchestra: The Inner Mounting Flame

1971 – The Who: Who’s Next

1974 -- Harry Nilsson: Pussy Cats

1975 -- Rod Stewart: Atlantic Crossing

1976 -- Burning Spear: Man in the Hills

1977 -- Doobie Brothers: Livin’ on the Fault Line

1978 -- The Who: Who Are You

1979 – Led Zeppelin: In Through the Out Door

1979 -- Bob Dylan: Slow Train Coming

1979 – XTC: Drums and Wires

1980 -- The Cars: Panorama

1980 – Yes: Drama

1981 -- The Pretenders: Pretenders II

1983 -- Cheap Trick: Next Position Please

1983 – Heart: Passionworks

1983 -- AC/DC: Flick of the Switch

1984 – Red Hot Chili Peppers: The Red Hot Chili Peppers

1985 -- John Cougar Mellencamp: Scarecrow

1989 – Red Hot Chili Peppers: Mother’s Milk

1990 -- Prince: Graffiti Bridge

1990 – Black Sabbath: Tyr

1991 – Joan Jett and the Blackhearts: Notorious

1991 -- Julian Lennon: Help Yourself

1992 – Motorhead: March or Die

1992 -- Eric Clapton: Unplugged

1994 – Neil Young and Crazy Horse: Sleeps with Angels

1997 – Fleetwood Mac: The Dance

2002 -- Black Sabbath: Past Lives

2003 -- Neil Young: Greendale

2003 -- Kings of Leon: Youth and Young Manhood

Deaths

Robert Johnson – Aug. 16, 1938

Elvis Presley – Aug. 16, 1977

Norman Petty (producer) – Aug. 15, 1984

Roy Buchanan – Aug. 14, 1988

Robert Calvert (Hawkwind) – Aug. 14, 1988

Tony Williams (The Platters) – Aug. 14, 1992

Betty Everett – Aug. 19, 2001

Vassar Clements – Aug. 16, 2005

Jerry Wexler (producer) – Aug. 15, 2008

LeRoi Moore (Dave Matthews Band) – Aug. 19, 2008

Jim Dickinson – Aug. 15, 2009

Richie Hayward (Little Feat) – Aug. 14, 2010

Scott McKenzie – Aug. 18, 2012

Allen Lanier (Blue Oyster Cult) – Aug. 14, 2013

Births

Ginger Baker – Aug. 19, 1939

Dash Crofts (Seals and Crofts) – Aug. 14, 1940

Johnny Nash – Aug. 19, 1940

David Crosby – Aug. 14, 1941

Isaac Hayes – Aug. 20, 1942

Kevin Ayers (The Soft Machine) – Aug. 16, 1944

Ian Gillan – Aug. 19, 1945

Larry Graham (Sly and The Family Stone) – Aug. 14, 1946

Jimmy Webb – Aug. 15, 1946

Ralf Hutter (Kraftwerk) – Aug. 20, 1946

James Pankow (Chicago) – Aug. 20, 1947

Tom Johnston (Doobie Brothers) – Aug. 15, 1948

Robert Plant – Aug. 20, 1948

Scott Asheton (The Stooges) – Aug. 16, 1949

Phil Lynott – Aug. 20, 1949

Slim Dunlap (The Replacements) – Aug. 14, 1951

John Deacon – Aug. 19, 1951

John Hiatt – Aug. 20, 1952

Colin Moulding (XTC) – Aug. 17, 1955

Tim Farris (INXS) – Aug. 16, 1957

Belinda Carlisle – Aug. 16, 1958

Gilby Clarke – Aug. 17, 1962

Tanya Donnelly – Aug. 14, 1966

Dimebag Darrell – Aug. 20, 1966

Fred Durst – Aug. 20, 1970

Emily Robison (Dixie Chicks) – Aug. 16, 1972

Week of August 21st - 27th

This week is a major one for rock anniversaries. From the releases of Pearl Jam's Ten and Metallica: ...And Justice for All to the birthdays of Keith Moon and Rob Halford, it's obvious this week in rock history truly rocks. Keep reading for some major events, historic record releases and notable births and deaths happening Aug. 21 – 27.

Events

1965 - The Rolling Stones' record "Out of Our Heads" reaches No. 1 in the U.S.

1965 - During a break on a U.S. tour, the Beatles visited Elvis Presley at his residence in Beverly Hills.

1967 - The great Keith Moon of the Who drove a car in to a hotel swimming pool by accident. He was attempting elude the police who had arrived to shut down his birthday party. While some say the story isn't true, Roger Daltrey stands behind it.

1968 - The final day of recording the Beatles' "Sexy Sadie" takes place.

1970 - The Velvet Underground played their final show with Lou Reed at the Manhattan venue Max's Kansas City.

1970 - Elton John performs in the U.S. for the first time. It's at The Troubadour in Los Angeles.

1982 - Bono of U2 gets married to his high school sweetheart Alison Stewart at the Guinness Church of Ireland.

2016 - The Tragically Hip perform their final concert.

Releases

1968 - Fleetwood Mac, Mr. Wonderful

1972 - The Kinks, Everybody's in Show-Biz

1975 - Bruce Springsteen, Born to Run

1976 - Boston, Boston

1976 - Eric Clapton, No Reason to Cry

1979 - The Alan Parsons Project, Eve

1981 - The Rolling Stones, Tattoo You

1982 - Alice Cooper, Zipper Catches Skin

1983 - Rainbow, Bent Out of Shape

1985 - The Cure: The Head on the Door

1986 - Paul McCartney: Press to Play

1987 - The Cars, Door to Door

1988 - Jane's Addiction, Nothing's Shocking

1988 - Metallica, ...And Justice for All

1991 - Pearl Jam, Ten

1996 - Pearl Jam, No Code

1997 - Oasis, Be Here Now

1998 - Rob Zombie, Hellbilly Deluxe

2002 - Coldplay, A Rush of Blood to the Head

2002 - Queens of the Stone Age, Songs for the Deaf

2002 - Stone Sour, Stone Sour

2008 - Slipknot: All Hope Is Gone

2008 - B.B. King, One Kind Favor

2010 - The Pretty Reckless, Light Me Up

2012 - Lynyrd Skynyrd, Last of a Dyin' Breed

2014 - Royal Blood, Royal Blood

Deaths

Brian Epstein (manager of the Beatles) - August 27, 1967

Stevie Ray Vaughan - August 27, 1990

Bob Stegmeyer (bassist) - August 25, 1995

Jack Nitzsche (producer) - August 25, 2000

Sid Bernstein (promoter for the Beatles and manager for various artists) - August 21, 2013